Use this guide to search for free or low cost sources to replace or supplement your current textbooks.
Open textbooks are a great way to make a one-for-one swap with traditional high-cost textbooks. Open textbooks are free to download and low-cost to print.
OER Commons
One of the largest repositories of Open Educational Resources on the Web. Includes textbooks, lectures, labs, case studies, activities, and more.
Open Textbook Library
Minnstate participates in this repository hosted by the University of Minnesota. The site encourages users to leave reviews of textbooks to help in the vetting process.
OpenStax College
OpenStax College is an initiative from Rice University that publishes peer-reviewed open textbooks for introductory courses along with additional resources like slides and test banks. OpenStax partners with print-on-demand services to print bound versions at a lower cost than traditional textbooks.
MERLOT II
MERLOT II is an international repository of all kinds of open educational resources including textbooks. The Advanced Search page allows you to limit your search to textbooks written with a lower-division college audience in mind.
OpenTextBookStore (Math) and MyOpenMath
MIT Open Textbooks
This site lists the open textbooks used in MIT's open courseware program. This can be an especially good resource for STEM courses.
Mason OER Metafinder
The Mason OER Metafinder helps you find OER by searching 22 different sources in real-time.
OASIS
Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS) is a search tool that aims to make the discovery of open content easier. OASIS currently searches open content from 114 different sources and contains 440,452 records.
OER Commons
One of the largest repositories of Open Educational Resources on the Web. Includes textbooks, lectures, labs, case studies, activities, and more. Open Textbook Library
Minnstate participates in this repository hosted by the University of Minnesota. The site encourages users to leave reviews of textbooks to help in the vetting process. OpenStax College
OpenStax College is an initiative from Rice University that publishes peer-reviewed open textbooks for introductory courses along with additional resources like slides and test banks. OpenStax partners with print-on-demand services to print bound versions at a lower cost than traditional textbooks.
MERLOT II
MERLOT II is an international repository of all kinds of open educational resources including textbooks. The Advanced Search page allows you to limit your search to textbooks written with a lower-division college audience in mind. OpenTextBookStore (Math) and MyOpenMath
OpenTextBookStore is a list of open textbooks for math courses that have already been vetted for use in college courses.
MyOpenMath is a free online interactive math homework platform aligned to work with many of the texts from OpenTextBookStore.
MIT Open Textbooks
This site lists the open textbooks used in MIT's open courseware program. This can be an especially good resource for STEM courses. Mason OER Metafinder
The Mason OER Metafinder helps you find OER by searching 22 different sources in real-time.
OASIS
Openly Available Sources Integrated Search (OASIS) is a search tool that aims to make the discovery of open content easier. OASIS currently searches open content from 114 different sources and contains 440,452 records.
Opendora
Opendora, developed by PALS, is a digital archive for open educational resources that serves as a central repository for Minnesota State faculty and librarians to leverage licensed open educational resources (OER) with the ability to access, load, and share material.
Minnesota State OER Sharepoint
Minnesota State promotes textbook affordability for students at Minnesota State colleges and universities by supporting and facilitating adoption of open, low-cost, high-quality materials. We strive to do through faculty development, adequate resources, and grants.
Minnesota State OER Twitter
Stay up to date with activities and projects involving OER in the Minnesota State system.
Opendora, developed by PALS, is a digital archive for open educational resources that serves as a central repository for Minnesota State faculty and librarians to leverage licensed open educational resources (OER) with the ability to access, load, and share material. Minnesota State OER Sharepoint
Minnesota State promotes textbook affordability for students at Minnesota State colleges and universities by supporting and facilitating adoption of open, low-cost, high-quality materials. We strive to do through faculty development, adequate resources, and grants. Minnesota State OER Twitter
Stay up to date with activities and projects involving OER in the Minnesota State system.
Gale eBooks
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects.
Salem Press
Online database of full-text reference e-books on history, health, literature, and science.
ABC-CLIO eBook Collection
Gale Literature
Searches all Gale literature databases at once: Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, Scribner Writers Series, Twayne's Author Series, Something About the Author, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.
EBSCO Ebook Collection (EBSCOhost)
A selection of ebooks on many topics. Includes some literature (novels, poems, short stories, etc.).
Selected dictionaries, encyclopedias, and reference books in many subjects. Salem Press
Online database of full-text reference e-books on history, health, literature, and science. ABC-CLIO eBook Collection
This e-book collection, spun off from the Daily Life Through History database, covers daily life in many time periods and regions of the world, cultural customs, and the histories of particular countries.
Gale Literature
Searches all Gale literature databases at once: Gale Literature Criticism, Gale Literature Resource Center, LitFinder, Scribner Writers Series, Twayne's Author Series, Something About the Author, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography. EBSCO Ebook Collection (EBSCOhost)
A selection of ebooks on many topics. Includes some literature (novels, poems, short stories, etc.). 
Call, e-mail, or chat with a librarian for more research assistance. We're happy to help!
(952) 358-8290
Email
Note: Your chat question may be directed to a librarian from another college when Normandale librarians are unavailable.
Linking to Library Resources
Directions for creating stable links to articles and videos found in Normandale Library databases that will work later and from off campus.
Directions for creating stable links to articles and videos found in Normandale Library databases that will work later and from off campus.